Fioriglio: Enthusiasm of Phillies rookies make games fun to watch

In the days leading up to the dismissal of longtime manager Charlie Manuel on Aug. 16, the Phillies made a concerted effort to get younger, installing rookies Cody Asche and Darin Ruf into the everyday lineup while also promoting young starters Ethan Martin and Tyler Cloyd, who did briefly get a cup of coffee last year, as well. To further compliment the young players, Ryne Sandberg, who managed nearly all of them last season in Triple A, was named interim manager following Manuelís dismissal, a role which he will fill for the rest of the season.

And yet, the Phillies are still terrible. But at least all hope is not lost because now, unlike the first half of this season, they are entertaining.

Prior to the All-Star Break, it seemed like most players were just going through the motions, not really caring about the results one way or the other. Sure, Ben Revere would make the occasional highlight-reel catch and Domonic Brown would hit bombs but overall, there appeared to be a general feeling of disinterest.

The proverbial rock-bottom moment of disinterest took place in the days following the All-Star Break when the Phillies lost 14 of 17 games after the break, including an embarrassing eight game losing streak that saw the team lose games in ways never before though possible, like by using Raul Valdes in a high-leverage situation or playing Delmon Young in any situation.

It was hard to watch, not because of the losing but because of the lack of interest.

With the installation of the younger guys, guys with something to prove and guys that are just happy to have the opportunity to play baseball at the big league level, the Phillies have once again become fun to watch.

Heck, last week alone, the team won three straight games in their final at-bats and played a ridiculous 18-inning game that saw a starting pitcher (Cloyd) and two position players (Casper Wells and John McDonald) be used in relief, a batter (Chase Utley) stand so close to the plate on an intentional walk attempt that the opposing pitcher almost overthrew the catcher so as to avoid making contact and a bench filled with veterans and rookies standing on the railing the whole time, cheering on their teammates as these shenanigans unfolded. Simply put, they were having fun. And because of that, the fans were having fun.

Not coincidentally, this is not the first time that many of these players were on a team that was this fun to watch. Way back in 2006, back before MVP awards and World Series Titles and success caused players to become jaded or complacent, the Philadelphia Phillies were one of the most, if not the most, entertaining team to watch play baseball.

They actually smiled during the game. They played pranks on one another in the clubhouse. They had fun. And we had fun. Now, thatís not to say that watching those MVP and championship seasons were not fun to watch, too, but it was a different kind of fun. It was no longer watching a bunch of 20-somethings goofing around off the field and giving 100 percent on the field. Those historic seasons, when the Phillies were at their absolute pinnacles, were much more business-like and when things went wrong, they went wrong fast, leaving the team old, complacent and maybe even a little jaded.

And as Asche continues to make diving stops at third or Ruf continues to send belt-high fastballs deep into the night, the enthusiasm seems to be rubbing off on the veterans the same way that a puppy can rejuvenate an old dog.

Cole Hamels is laughing on the bench. Rollins is cracking jokes. Even the typically stone-faced Utley has flashed a smile or two over the past few weeks.

Unfortunately, this season has long passed the point of no return and is a lost cause. The odds that Ruf and Asche will turn into the kind of players that Utley and Ryan Howard became are slim, but at least the Phillies finally seem like a team that gives a darn and at least the remainder of this journey will be fun to watch.